Lonely Souls
by drkdemon
Summary: Based on Cinderella.
1. The Girl Named Cinders

_ Ever since somebody reviewed one of my other fics, Crystal Quartz, and suggested for me to do a Cinderella version, I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. Thus, I started this. There is a reason why everybody got whatever part they have, and the reasons all develop sooner or later. It's Sakura/Eriol, so if you don't like that stuff-and I can practically imagine 80% of you all leaving already-then turn away right now.  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
  
**Chapter One: The Girl Named Cinders**  
  
As she looked out the window, and Cinders awed at the snow that was falling down. It was winter that she was smiling at, and what a beautiful winter it was going to be. Closing her eyes, she shifted a bit in her short wooden stool while she placed her chin atop of her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. Cinders then shivered a bit in her shabby, plain-colored dress and soft shoes with their soles worn out as well when a cold draft fluttered in through the seeps of the window, brushing softly against her skin.  
  
Turning back to the stove, Cinders poked at the fire, watching as it kindle and ignite, ashes getting on her face. She closed her eyes, and took in the warmth. Hearing the pot hanging above it boil, telling her that it was done, she quickly took a cloth, and lifted up the lid. Cinders then took a soup spoon, dipped it in to the broth, and lifted it up. Blowing slightly, she closed her eyes, and took a short sip. Perfect. Cinders lifted the pot up, away from the fire, to let it cool down a bit.  
  
Silently, she sat back down on the chair, and turned back to look out the window. How she wished to go out there and frolic in the cold, yet elegant, powder. She could, probably, but she would be scolded. _And father taught me to not be that way_, she sighed. _He said for me to listen to stepmother, and my stepsisters. I must do so. I must do so..._  
  
"CINDERS!!" she suddenly heard the yell rivet from the other rooms. Cinders jumped, and took out bowls from the cabinets. She filled them up with the soup, and put the three bowls onto a plate. Hastily, she walked out of the kitchen, and into the dining room. There, Cinders saw the two girls and the one women, who all held a cold reserved at her. They felt superior, and they felt better than her. Yet when her stepmother first came, with the two cold girls at her hands, she was poorer than those had a place to sleep in the streets. And now she acts as if she has never been that way ever.  
  
"Good evening, stepmother," Cinders whispered, and placed the soup in front of each of the girls as softly as she could, the thoughts filling her head, though she pushed it out. "Good evening, Meiling. Good evening, Rika. The soup is a slight bit hot, so beware of scalding your mouth. But other than that, I am sure that it will be... exceptional for you all."  
  
Meiling scowled. She sniffed at it, and haughtily turned away, right after she had strike the bowl with her hand, causing it to snap from the table onto the ground. "It smells _awful_, mother. If I drink this, I am afraid that it might ill me afterwards." She then jerked her head to turn to Cinders. "Come now, sister. I am sure that you can conjure something better than this. After all, I want you to." She then turned to look at Rika, gesturing for her to agree.  
  
The other stepsister coughed slightly, and delicately pushed her own bowl away. "Um, yes," she whispered. "I-I-I do not wish to drink this as well. Bring something else out."  
  
The stepmother smiled lovingly at her two daughters, then frowned at Cinders, stiffly staring at the standing girl, whowas waiting for the commands that would come. "Hurry up and bring something better, now, Cinders." Hearing her talk, Cinders quietly wiped a bit of the soot away from her face. She turned to her stepmother, and bowed.  
  
"As you wish, stepmother. I shall-" she started, turning to walk away back to the kitchen to prepare.  
  
"Bring butter bread and tea for before the meal, of course," Meiling ordered.  
  
"Yes," Rika said softly as Cinders continued to walk once more. "Thank you, Sakura." Cinders smiled softly, as she heard Meiling badger at Rika for calling her by her name. Sakura had adopted the name 'Cinders' just shortly after her father died. Quickly, her stepmother and Meiling turned on her, and made her a servant instead of keeping her as a family member of their own. They pushed her into the kitchen, and there she stayed, for her father's last words were: _Sakura, dearest. You must cherish your family, for they are all that you have left now. Sonomi loves you, and she always will. Listen to your stepmother, and your stepsisters. Do as they wish, for that way, you will all be happy._  
  
Sakura felt tears well up into her eyes as she started to slice a loaf of bread. She sat by the fire often, so the crackling ashes would fly to her face, and stay there. Meiling teased her, and was the first to dub her 'Cinders.' Shortly, seeing nothing wrong with the name, her stepmother followed. Rika did as well, but often would slip, and call her by Sakura again. Sakura, the name which her own mother gave herself. The thought that Rika might waver a bit to Sakura's feelings made her a bit calmer, yet she still hurt inside.  
  
_Father, you lied,_ she thought silently, wishing that he could hear her right now. _They may be happy, but I am not. Yet those words are the promise that you wish for me to keep, and what else can I do but keep it? If only there were another way, father. Would you want for me to be happy as well? I guess, in a way, I am only keeping half of that promise. I'm sorry, father._ She quickly wiped some water away from her eyes before they had a chance to become streaming tears, and placed the bread on plates that she brought out. Already, the water was heating up from the fire. She would need a wiping cloth as well, for the mess Meiling made in the dining room.  
  
Looking out of the window, Sakura sighed as she watch the snow slowly starting to stop falling from the night sky. She took in a longing breath, then unwillingly moved away from the window to fix up the appetizers for her family. She placed four slices of bread onto each plate, a small slab of butter next to it, and pieces of meat and vegetables on another part of the plate. Lifting all three up, she tiredly carried them out of the kitchen.  
  
_If only I could rid myself of this loneliness inside of me..._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Strolling out of his room, he adjusted his cloak as he walked down the stairs to the front door to the palace, making sure that it covered the ordinary and common clothing underneath. When he saw the guards standing in front of it, his shoulders literally slumped down in defeat and he stopped in his tracks in the middle of the stairway. I need to find a way to get out... A way out, a way out... He blinked when a solution came to his head. _Wait a minute! I'm the PRINCE!! _Rolling his eyes at his stupidity, he continued his way down the remaining steps and continued up to the front of the walk.  
  
"I wish to walk along the gardens outside," he stated when he saw them. "Open the gates for me." A strong sense of relief came over him when they nodded and gradually opened the high doors. He nodded a thanks to them, and walked out as casually as he could. Once he heard the doors creaked close behind him, the prince gave a smirk as he ran the heck out of the palace, towards the stables.  
  
Smiling as he reached a dark horse, he opened the small stable door and rubbed the animal affectionately. "Come, Streaic. Let's ride." Getting on the sturdy horse, the prince rode off through the plains, as quickly away from the castle as he could, the wind blowing against his hair and into his ears, enjoying the freedom of no restraints on him. He enjoyed the feel of the snow underneath, some flying up through the air to hit against his face. It felt _great_.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Sakura took a bunch snow into her hands even though it felt freezing cold against her. Throwing it up into the air, she laughed as it slowly fell down to the ground around her. Dancing in it, she forgot all about her worries inside of the house as she glanced at the footsteps she was making in it. Bending down to kneel in the snow once more, Sakura drew a heart in it, smiling as she started to daydream about the image.  
  
How nice it would be if somebody could love her. Just love, without any kind of attachments or strings to go along with it. Frowning now, considering how she realized that it wouldn't happen anytime soon, Sakura quickly got up, and turned to look back at the house. It was pretty big. But then again, her father had led quite a good life, and now, they was enough money to support the family for life. Almost.  
  
_I'm going to have to go get a job ONE day. After all, even though father left us with a lot of money, it still does not grow on trees. Sooner or later, we WILL run out... But we're careful with spending the money, sometimes. Stepmother is not really extravagant or such. Well, sometimes._ She stared at the big house, about the size of a small mansion. Yet even with so much stuff, she hardly got a good room to sleep in. In fact, she got so used to the kitchen that she slept there often now.  
  
Deciding to not return to the house yet, Sakura walked further off away from home. Starting to walk a bit faster, she began to run through the snow, laughing as she did. The cold atmosphere curled about her, wrapping itself around her warmth. _Well, at least something wishes to hug me..._ Sakura thought gloomily.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Feeling the horse starting to lose control in the terrain, the prince quickly pulled the reins back, slowing him down a bit. Looking around, he wrapped the cloak around him a bit as a cold draft started to really blow against him. "Wow, Streaic," he mumbled. "No wonder I don't come out during the winter much. I'd rather be in my room, reciting a tale from a book of mine... But aye, good weather this is, really. Let's just stroll a bit, Streaic... Less risk of slipping and going for a more dangerous ride than one wishes to have."  
  
Turning to look back, he found himself a bit far away from the palace. The prince shrugged and just continued away from the palace, not wishing to really go back so quickly yet. It was hard trying to find some time for himself, or for people to treat him as one that would be equal to them. Instead, they stare at him with an expression that said that he was glorious, and everything that they wanted to be. And if it weren't people wishing for something from him, it would be his parents.  
  
_You must marry!  
  
It is time for you to wed.  
  
Come! Come to the banquet; there you shall find a bride.  
  
Why must you be so hard about it?!_  
  
Hah! If anybody was hard on this topic, it would most definitely be his mother and father, NOT him! Why, avoiding was what he wanted to do. Why in the world could they not leave him alone?  
  
Besides, it was not as if he wanted to not marry. It is difficult to find one who could connect with me, he sighed, not really paying attention to where Streaic was now going. Squinting his eyes in sadness, he shook his head in repulse. How in the world could he find one to love him for him, and not for his status? That would definitely take a miracle of all miracles. And yet still, how could such a miracle even happen? What kind of a girl would look for someone like me on the inside, and not someone like the prince? If only I can rid myself of this loneliness inside of me...  
  
Suddenly, the prince realized that the two of them had gotten to the edge of a hill. The prince felt Streaic's hoof slip, and they started to slip and slide down, with the prince's face filled with a sense of dread when he couldn't pull Streaic back up with the reins. "Oh!!!!" he shouted, when he saw a figure right down at the bottom of the hill.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Sakura smiled as she ran out into a field of beautiful white. Swerving around, she found herself just twirling in happiness. _I hope that stepmother and Meiling won't be looking for me. If they do, then what shall I do? My clothes are already getting a bit wet, so I will have to go back home to change as well. Oh, then I should maybe go back and check. After all, father said..._ Sakura shook her head, angry at herself. _If that is all the reason why I am still with them, then what shall I do? I cannot keep telling myself this over and over again. And the way they treat me..._  
  
"Cinders, Cinders, Cinders," she mimicked. "Clean the room, Cinders. Make dinner, Cinders. Bring me my clothes, Cinders. Do this, Cinders. Do that, Cinders. Blah bleh, Cinders. And then, Cinders-"  
  
But she was never able to finish her sentence when a sudden rumbling rush of noise started to come towards her. Turning slightly to her right, she gasped when a large something-or-other was rolling down a hill. Quickly, she turned the opposite way, and tried to evade the trail of snow. Taking short glances, she found it rolling closer and closer, until it was about twenty feet away. Ten feet away. Five.  
  
Sakura felt her legs give way when she felt the air knocked out of her as she rolled in the snow after something impacted her. She closed her eyes, not knowing what to do when she felt herself get tangled along with whatever had hit her. Gasping for breath, Sakura clutched her chest, eyes still shut. Pain seethed through her as she felt freezing snow fly in the air and plaster her on the face.  
  
Sakura had no clue how many moments had passed, only that the next thing she knew was of somebody patting her cheeks softly, murmuring some incomprehensible words to her. She groaned as she shifted around a bit, trying to get away from the cold snow underneath her, her teeth chattering. Sakura felt herself getting picked up to sit on her legs, her upper body being held by strong arms. Finally, the words started to come clear, at least, a bit more than before.  
  
"... Maiden? Maiden are you well? I am sorry! I did not mean to do that! My horse..." And that was all she managed to get before she found herself losing consciousness once more, and slumped onto something. Something that was warming her body up as she laid there, though it left her feet going numb from the cold.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Waking up again, Sakura moaned as she finally opened her eyes. What she didn't expect were another pair of eyes staring straight back at her. "AH!" she gave a short, but loud, yell, backing up as quickly as she could. But instead of being able to do that, she ran into something else. Jerking her head around, she found herself face-to-face with a snorting animal, which tossed its head back, and she shrieked again, at first too frightened to think straight.  
  
Grabbing a hold onto the person's arm, she turned to look at him, then back at the horse (which she figured out a second later after she had yelled), and then gave a sneeze. "Achoo! Oh, drat!" she cursed. "How long have I been lying here?" she asked the male. Looking at him, Sakura found that he had deep blue eyes, and dark-colored hair as well. He was wearing glasses, and it surprised her that his vision did not blur from the weather. He was wearing a fancy cloak, but a commoner's clothes underneath. _Unusual..._ Sakura decided. _Well, maybe he bought it with some hard-earned money or such._  
  
"Well, I apologize once more, maiden. My horse slipped at the top of the hill there," he pointed at the direction. "And I could not stop him in time. I assure you that you should be grateful it was I who ran into you, and not Streaic. Otherwise, you would have been in a much worse condition. I think that you almost woke up before, but couldn't stay that way for long. I carried you over here to my horse, and that might have been about fifteen minutes ago. Not too long."  
  
Sakura nodded wordlessly. She rubbed her hands over her arms, shivering slightly. She could already feel an illness creeping up on her, and she wished to stop it right away. "I have been out too long, if you ask me. I really need to-"  
  
"Oh!" he said, staring at her. Quickly, he took off his cloak, and wrapped it around her, even if parts of it was moist as well. "I really did not mean to do this to you. And in such a weather as well. Horrible, is it not? So cold. And because of it, Streaic is not as controllable as he could be in better terrain. You know how slippery and icy snow can be. I just wish that you did not get caught in our avalanche," he joked.  
  
Sakura nodded her head. "Yes, it might be cold, but look at the beauty it brings," she said, waving her hand around her. Seeing the confused look on the boy's face, she rolled her eyes lightheartedly. "Snow! Look at how it covers the land in such a beautiful and vast blanket. It is especially wonderful if you watch it through a window, each bit of powder dropping down lightly while drinking hot tea as you sit there, comfortably watching nature do her job. It is contentment to me. And to be able to play in it... Such fun!"  
  
The prince stared at her, then gave a happy laugh. "Such words! The poetic beauty they bring. Maiden, your way with verbal emotion matches your beauty, most truthfully. But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict some of the lovely images that you wrote. This snow, it can also be deadly in other ways as well. Such as avalanches, as you can see. The way it is forever cold. And as comforting as it is to you, it does not bode well for others who unfortunately get lost in it."  
  
Cringing, Sakura gave a weak smile. "Ah, yes. I suppose that in all things, there shall always be consequences." Suddenly, her eyes widened when she realized something. "Oh! I really _have _been away from home for far too long of a time." Picking herself up, she dusted the white cold powder off of herself. Turning to look at him, Sakura nodded her head in gratitude. "Thank you for tending to me and all when I passed out. I really must be on my way. Thank you again." She handed him back his cloak, and turned around to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" he cried, stopping her in her tracks. He walked up to her, and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders anyway, stopping her protesting words. "You would need it. I do not wish for you to catch a cold any easier than it already is. Do not worry about whether you can give it back to me or not. I have more at home." Then, he backed up from her, smiling slightly as he did, but a new expression entered his face. Standing up, he stared at her with an expression of disbelief. "You... actually wish to go home? I mean, you spoke of such freedom in your words. Is it that good at home? That you are happy?"  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura turned her eyes away for a bit. Then, she forced a smile onto her face, and nodded her head one more time. "Yes. My family is wonderful to me. That, and I have much to do, and I fear my family might worry about me since I was gone for so long. Farewell, and may our paths meet again." She yelled the last words as she quickly ran off.  
  
He nodded. "Yes, may our paths- ah! Oh, wait a minute! What is your name?!"  
  
From a distance, Sakura turned around, and said the first thing that came to her mind. "CINDERS!!!" It was minutes later after she returned home when she realized she had hurried home so quickly that she never asked _him _for his name.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
"Where _were _you, Cinders?!" Meiling screeched from where she sat, which was on a chair in front of a study table in the living room. She appeared to be trying to read a book, but instead had started to draw all over it instead, probably from boredom. "Because you decided to go gallivanting off somewhere, I am starving! Make me a meal this instant!"  
  
Nodding, Sakura walked off to the kitchen. "Yes, Meiling."  
  
"And do NOT go play with Cerberus until you finish your chores as well! That big lug of an animal can wait!"  
  
Just as she was about to go into the kitchen, Sakura then heard another voice call to her. "Cinders!" her stepmother's voice riveted around. Sighing, Sakura moved away from the kitchen, and found her stepmother in her bed. "Ah, Cinders, how nice of you to finally return home. Did you have fun, ignoring your duty at home?"  
  
Bending her head down, Sakura nodded. "I apologize, stepmother. I forgot about the time, and-"  
  
Slamming her hand onto a table next to her bed, the stepmother stopped Sakura in her sentence. "Forgot! You FORGOT about your work and went out to play?! There is no excuse what-so-ever for your carelessness, Cinders! Now you are behind schedule, and today, we have a portrait painter coming over to capture your sisters! The entire house MUST look distinguished! At this time, you must tidy the laundry. It has piled up since you were not here. Then you must clean the windows, the halls, the stairs, all the rooms. You have until sundown to do so. Fix the gardens outside, the poor flowers are wilting from the cold. You know what to do, since you've been at this for years, Cinders. So get to it."  
  
"But Meiling wants me to-"  
  
"Bah! Fine then," Sonomi said in exasperation. "Whatever Meiling wants for you to do, then tend to that first. Afterwards, go about everything else." With those words, she dismissed Sakura away. Walking off, Sakura closed her eyes, going back to the kitchen to make a meal for Meiling as she listened to her stepmother rant some more, her voice fading away. Unconsciously, she dropped her extra clothing, including the cloak she was given, oblivious from the depression she felt. _You'll never get anywhere, Cinders. Why should I raise your hopes when you will just never get anywhere in life?_ Sakura remembered the words her stepmother said to her, over and over again.  
  
_You're just an orphan, and you know that. I may take care of you, but that means nothing to me nor you at all. I am but a stepmother, and two mouths are enough for me to feed. You shall help with around the house, and do as I tell you to, do you understand?_ And Sakura did understand. She understood, because her father wanted her to understand. She understood, because if she did not, she would be betraying her father's promise. So as she did all she was told to, her stepmother's words ringing in her mind, her head, torturing her. They told her of no hopes. Of no joy. And most definitely, of no love.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Leading Streaic back to his stable, the prince then walked back to the main doors, and opened them himself. Going inside, he was suddenly attacked by a person with brown hair. "PRRRRRRIIIINNNNNNCCCEEEE ERIOL!!!!!!!!!" he heard his advisor yell with the small tint of relief in her tone. Stopping from hugging him for a while, she held him at arms length, her eyes showing a bit of anger in them. "Do you have any clue what the king and queen are saying?! Hurry! Hurry! You must go see them instantly. They have been asking for you, and wish to speak to you of... well..."  
  
"Marriage," Eriol finished for her tiredly. "Will they never leave me alone of this?! What is there more to speak of?! I told them, and I told them again and again, that I do not wish to marry until I am ready for it. I do not wish to go speak to them until they wish to speak of more important topics. Even a choice of new clothing would make it more better." With those words, Eriol turned to walk up the stairs of the palace, going to his room.  
  
"Stay right there!" he heard a clear voice speak. Rolling his eyes, Eriol turned around, and found his mother and father, Queen Kaho and King Clow, walking up to him, head advisors behind them. Cursing under his breath, he watched as his mother smiled at him. "Eriol, did you lie to the soldiers again?" she asked, an amused look on her face. His father stared at his son, a regal expression on his calm face. "You know that it does not do well to deceive others."  
  
"Yes, mother," Eriol said, nodding his head along, hoping that if he did, he would be able to get away quicker.  
  
"Now, let us talk about something else. A lighter matter. Your wedding-"  
  
Right away, Eriol let out a groan. "Please, Eriol. It is not as if we wish for you to rush into such a thing. But the head advisors! They, well, _advise _that it would be a good thing for you to find one to be mate to, and it will do you good to have a wife to guide you through some problems that you might not understand. I know that we are there to help with those as well, but if you do not marry, then the head advisors will keep badgering us, and I do not know how long I can take it!"  
  
Shaking his head, Eriol narrowed his eyes at the head advisors, and they backed up, a bit nervous under his gaze. "Look, I am going to take a leave from this place for a while. One month from now, I am going to go visit Cousin Yamazaki in the next kingdom, hopefully gain some REST from all this talk about marriage. Then-" Suddenly, a dark creature strolled in to the main hall, walking up to them. Eriol bent down, and affectionately scratched the creature in the ears. "Ah, Spinel."  
  
Looking down at their son, the queen continued to smile. "It is hard to believe you can show so much affection for that animal, and not a ounce of it towards another woman. Nakuru," she ordered. "If the prince plans on going out anymore, I want you to accompany him." Seeing the surprising expression on Eriol's face, Kaho smiled. "Ah, son, do you truly believe that we do not know of your lurking around? Now, as you can see, we are giving you a bit more freedom than before. It is just that I wish for you to not go out alone. Nakuru will go with you. And if you want, bring Spinel with you as well."  
  
Grinning, Nakuru peered down at Spinel, and said one word to him. "Suppi." Hearing him growl a protest at her, Nakuru said, "Ah, your highness. I can see that this animal and I will become GOOD friends." She was about to pet it when the animal snapped at her, almost biting her hand off. "Aww," she cooed. "How cute." But with those, words she backed up a bit.  
  
Hearing his mother's words, Eriol finally nodded his head. "Okay, fine. I'll agree to those terms. So now, I shall be able to go out, at least. And now that we've gotten that settled, I wish to leave now. I shall speak with you later, mother, father. And when we do, it better _truly _be of better topics." With those words, he gave a smiling glare at the advisors, leaving them shuddering with the thought of what's to come later.  
  
Once Eriol entered his room, he closed the door behind him, and watched as Spinel curled up next to his bed. Eriol walked up to a large window, and opened it up, feeling the nice draft of wind blow against him. Staring at the land below him, he took a short glance at the in-door gardens close to the front of the door. Then he saw white blanket across the entire land. _It will snow soon. I can feel it._ Chuckling, he then shook his head, remembering what had just happened to him today.  
  
"A girl named _Cinders?!_ How enchanting."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Washing the windows on the door, Sakura wiped her forehead with an arm as she continuously scrubbed it with all her might. Suddenly, she felt a small nose poke into her view. Turning around, she saw the lion staring at her, it's eyes boring into her. If she didn't know any better, Sakura would've thought that it was just looking into her soul. Smiling, Sakura pet Cerberus on the head with a soapy hand of hers. "Let me be for a while, Cerberus," she scolded lightly. "I have a few hours left in order to clean the rest of the house up, and I cannot do it with distractions."  
  
The beast just nuzzled her more, pushing its nose into her waist. Giggling, she pushed the animal away with another soapy hand. "Come on, Cerberus! I can't play right now. Later on, I'll give you some cake, okay? Go back to play with the horse." Those words obviously convinced Cerberus enough, so he ran off, turning around a corner after he got to the edge of one side of the house, disappearing around the bend.  
  
Absentmindedly, using the window as a semi-mirror, Sakura brushed some smudges of soot off of her face from sitting by the fire in the kitchen. Instead, all it did was smear it some more. Seeing the hopelessness in it, Sakura shrugged, and continued cleaning the window. Minutes later, she was dusting the book room, coughing as the dust filled her entire view up. She tried to turn her head away, but found that she would not be able to see where she would be dusting.  
  
Suddenly, the sounds of someone knocking at the door moved her away from her chores, and she gladly welcomed the interruption. Running to the entrance, Sakura opened the door, and stared at the man in standing in front of her. Then, seeing the materials he was holding, she smiled. "You must be the artist." _And quite young for one as well._ "Please come in. Madame Sonomi has been expecting your visit."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_ Please review. ^^ It will tell me how you think of this fic so far._


	2. An Artist's Vision

_I have no excuse for not updating. All I can say is that I've lost interested in writing fanfiction. What I have posted up here is a chapter I wrote two years ago, months after chapter 1 was posted. My beta reader never replied, so this is pretty raw. XD Remember guys: I don't write S/S. I always write Eriol/Sakura. If you're hoping for miracles, well, I don't believe in them, so don't expect any from me.  
  
Invisible Yu: Syaoran will be there soon. Don't worry.  
  
Xelena: Thanks.   
  
Forbidden Secrets: Sorry that it took so long. Well, here's chapter two.  
  
Angel of Hell1: Oo Uh...  
  
Moon Smurf: HEY, BETA READER! XD What happened to the chapters I sent you?  
  
Miko no Igirisu: My apologies. I'm glad you feel that it's written well. Here's the next chappie.  
  
Anon: Thanks!  
  
:) : I've continued. o  
  
Anon: Updated, updated, updated.  
  
Anon: Continued.   
  
Gigicerisier: Hmmm... I hate giving plots away. You'll see. =)  
  
Queen of the Storms: Thank yewwww! I thought a Cinderella plot was interesting, too, so here I am, attempting one.  
  
Cecelia: Read on!! We shall find out who the Fairy Godmother is, together. XD  
  
Mindy: Oh, I know what you mean. XD I'm very stubborn about it, and lookit me: I'm doing what every author-who-doesn't-update do: I don't update. laughs  
  
Lil Moon Witch: Awww... You read TNTB? TT Me so happy. I love writing E/S. Rest assured that whenever you see a CCS fic, it'll contain that couple.   
  
Shy-Lil-Dreamer: No offense taken. It's true; I update slowly. But at least you enjoy my fics. Thank you. =)  
  
Anon: I've updated. No never, see?  
  
Cookies: Because I lost confidence in this fic and in my writing skills. I really wanted to build them back up before I updated another chapter. But it's been over a year or two, and I wanted to put this up. Thanks for reading!  
  
Otakugirl: Yeah... I stopped updating for a while. At least here's another chapter!_  
  
**Chapter Two: An Artist's Vision**  
  
The man standing at the front door shook his head. For a split second, Sakura tilted her head to the side, feeling a sense of recognition go through her, and it left just as quickly as it came. But even as she continued to stare at him, her sense of recognition acted up, though she could not place her finger on it. "I'm not the artist; my name is Touya, the apprentice, and I am here to watch my teacher work." The male then gestured to another person who was walking up to the front door. "He is the artist, Yue." He then moved away, letting the man come through. He looked to be of the same age as the one named Touya, except with a more ethereal disposition, with silver-long hair tied together loosely, and mystic eyes that showed nothing.  
  
Sakura watched as he entered the house and his apprentice following along. Then, realizing that she had not finished most of the housework, Sakura quickly ran off complete the rest of the tasks around the house, though she did it close enough to watch as Sonomi talked joyfully with the artist.  
  
"Ah, yes. I wish for their portraits to be praised whenever guests arrive to our household. It would give me such pride to see their beauty enhanced so much more. So just let me call them in, and I shall- ah!" Sakura then heard a crash inside the room, but decided to just do her job and stay out of the way. "Oh, dear me. How extremely clumsy of me to knock that over. This _must_ be cleaned up. Cinders! Cinders!"  
  
Sighing, Sakura quickly grabbed a cloth and slowly entered the dining room. "Yes, stepmother?" she asked.  
  
Touya's eyes widened at those words. "Stepmother? THIS is your stepdaughter? Why, she looks like a servant girl."  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura cringed when she saw the infuriating expression on her stepmother's face, knowing that she was going to be in deep trouble soon enough. No doubt later on she would be blamed for this humiliation that Sonomi was going through. She nervously clenched the cloth in her hand, waiting for her stepmother to come up with a good explanation for this. "Ah, well, you see," she laughed. "My stepdaughter loves to pretend to be a servant girl, so she does it often enough. She enjoys this entire charade, and we let her do so. Do we not, stepdaughter?"  
  
Sakura meekly nodded her head, trying her best to not look into any of their eyes as she agreed. She was an awful liar. "Yes, stepmother," she answered softly, now not looking up at the artist and his apprentice.  
  
"Well, do you wish for her to be painted as well?" Yue asked.  
  
Sonomi's eyes widened, as if she could not even think of such a thing happening. "Oh, no," she laughed once more, the falseness dripping in each word she said. "Why, my stepdaughter despises such things. Right, stepdaughter?"  
  
"Yes, stepmother," Sakura repeated the two words emotionlessly. To be portrayed! Who would NOT wish for that?!  
  
"Ah..." Yue whispered, as if something caught his eyes. Suddenly, Sakura felt a hand on her chin, and it lifted her face up to meet with those mystic eyes. "So much dirt on your face, maiden," he said, yet his unreadable expression did not change one bit. "Yet the filth does not hide your obvious beauty. Tell me, is your name truly Cinders?" Now Sakura can tell that there was a _very _small slight tone of humor in his voice.  
  
Turning to look up at her stepmother, she saw the red anger in her eyes, and quickly averted her eyes away. "Yes," she finally said in a bit of a haste. "My name is Cinders. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Yue." She curtsied slightly.  
  
"Is it really now?" He then turned to Sonomi with a question on his mind. "If I may ask, I wish to paint your stepdaughter as well? I think that I would find it to be an enjoyable thing to do, along with your assignment, of course. It would not take too long. Maybe a sketch or two after I finish your daughters."  
  
"I am sorry, sir," Sonomi replied almost immediately. "But I am not willing to pay for something that I had not-"  
  
"You will not have to," he said evenly, motioning for Touya to set things up. "And you will not even have to keep them, either, unless you desire. The sketches, I mean. All I truly ask for is to spend a bit more time at your household in order to do so after I complete my work." He then took Sakura's face into his hands. To Sakura, it seemed as if he was inspecting them. "Yes, all you really have to do is to cleanse you image, of course. Take this so-called 'charade' off and wait for me to finish."  
  
Feeling a sense of doubt, Sakura uncertainly turned to look at Sonomi. Seeing her stepmother glare at her, Sakura closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again, still looking only at her stepmother. Sonomi gave a short nod.  
  
That was all the encouragement that Sakura needed, and she gave the artist a small smile. "My stepmother consents to what you wish for. Though I am unworthy of such treatments, thank you." Feeling a surge of happiness, Sakura walked off, hoping to find a pond for her to wash up. _It would take Sir Yue a while to portray Meiling and Rika, so I should be able to rest a while as well. Stepmother would want to watch as the artist is at work. That means I am free for a small interval!_  
  
Running off after she made sure her stepmother could not see her, Sakura peered around, whispering, "Cerberus! Cerberus, where are you?!" Seconds later, she felt something brush against her leg, and Sakura pet the animal on the face. "Come on, Cerberus. Let's go to the lake just right by the forest. I believe I should take a nice bath before I go back. And since Meiling and stepmother would probably not let me use their bathing pool, I truly believe I should not do so."  
  
Then, turning to the animal, she grinned, and poked him playfully on the nose. "Help me get some clean clothes, Cerberus, and meet me by the lake, would you please?" Nodding, the animal ran off, back into the house. After she watched it leave, Sakura turned and walked to the forests behind the mansion, where she went before. Suddenly, stopping, she slumped over in disappointment once she looked around. Still standing there minutes later, she heard Cerberus come back, and Sakura kneeled down to wrap her arms around his warm fur.  
  
"Forget it, Cerberus," she mumbled, digging her face into her animal friend. "I forgot that it's winter. If I wish to cleanse in the lake, then I wish for my skin to turn bluer than the ocean itself. I suppose that I could get water from the well, instead of wishing such a good treatment for myself. I will just wipe myself with a cloth instead. Let us go back into the house, Cerberus. I desire not to stare at the white blanket of frost."  
  
Then, before she walked off, she recalled a conversation she had not too long ago. _But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict some of the lovely images that you wrote. This snow, it can also be deadly in other ways as well._ Sakura nodded her head. _Cruel and mean as well!_ she sulked. Taking a bucket from the kitchen, Sakura then heaved it outside to a well by a small portion of the plains which laid between the forests and the back of the house.  
  
Looping it through a rope, she then leveled it down, and waited for the tones of splashing water. But when she did, the sound was a bit peculiar, so she peered down. Her eyes widening, Sakura found herself staring at, well, yes, there was water. There was plenty of water, but there was also small pieces of ice in there as well. Cringing, Sakura realized how she was going to have to wait a bit longer for the water to heat up now. _I truly cannot believe how my luck is faring so far._  
  
As Sakura walked off, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Cerberus to accidentally bump into the back of her legs. "Oh!" she gasped, suddenly remembering something. _But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict..._ "That boy!" Sakura frowned. "I told him my na--Well, maybe not my _true _name, but I did tell him a name. Yet he never gave me his." Turning, she looked at Cerberus. "And he was such an interesting boy, Cerberus. I wonder if I'll see him again." Then, she shook her head. "But never mind! I really must wash myself up. Come, friend. Bring my clothes along with you, please." Then, the pair walked off, looking as if they were a sorceress with her familiar.  
  
Closing the door behind her, Sakura filled some of the water into a pot, and washed it clean first. Casting the used liquid out by draining it by the ground outside of the door, Sakura then walked back in and placed the pot above the stove. She poured the rest of the freezing water into the container, and lit the fire back up again. Poking at it, she watched as it gradually burned, and waited for it warm the water. Smiling in satisfaction, Sakura sat on the cold ground next to Cerberus, and watched as the kindle ignited slowly.  
  
Sighing, she thought back to when she was gone from the house, and when she was knocked out by that boy. She unconsciously reached her hand out to touch her arm, and felt a light bruise there. Shrugging, Sakura decided that she did not have to tend to it, for it would probably go away, given time. Blinking, she got up, and found the cloak that he had given her was lying on the ground. Hastily picking it back up, Sakura found that the garment was freezing cold and wet to the touch.  
  
Deciding that she should not treat such a gift that way, Sakura placed it next to her by the fire, waiting for it to dry. _I shall see him again one day_, she determined stubbornly._ Then I shall give it back to him, smiling. And maybe we shall speak more as well, of other things. Maybe of life, and of other beauties all over the world. He said my words were beautiful... What a flatterer. Yet still, I do dare to dream of catching a glance of him one day. Maybe he will be by the fields again, with his horse._  
  
Sakura began to remember his deep blue hair and deep-colored eyes . She tilted her head to one side, wondering how he was able to get such a good quality cloak, when he wore a commoner's garment underneath. _Yet as common as the clothing were, they still looked even more suitable than mine_. Looking at her sleeve, Sakura saw some stitches to be out of place and others that _needed _to be stitched. The brown texture were covered with dirt, some parts molding in with each other. How she wished for a new set of clothing once in a while. Ever since her father died when she was seven, nine years ago, Sakura had only been able to alter the size by sewing. The leggings she wore were too big, though, for they belonged to her father. To compromise, she had cut them apart to make a skirt.  
  
"Why do they hate me so much, Cerberus?" Sakura asked her friend, hugging him as she watched the fire. "Did I wrong them in some way when I was young? That can't be, though, for Meiling and Rika are of my age, and we hardly acknowledged each other when we were young. Stepmother hardly gave a care for me when she first came in. I still remember it... The very first step she took into the house. Mother had died when I was three, and I do not remember much of that time. Three years later after that, father brought stepmother, Meiling, and Rika to the house. I thought I would be happy."  
  
Lifting her head up, Sakura stared around her. She had not always lived like this. She used to sleep in a bedroom, not in the kitchen. She would cook, though. But that was because she wanted to learn from the servants. Sonomi had dismissed them all shortly after her father's passing. There was one left, though. But he did not reside with her family. Instead, once every few days, he would bring food and such to their doorstep, and just left it in her hands to tend to. Sakura had not always done the chores by herself. She was not always treated so poorly. She was once loved. She would once a long time ago wake up to her father's warm, smiling face.  
  
"I was wrong, Cerberus. I was dreadfully wrong," she whispered, leaning in to him again. "I am not happy at all."  
  
Sakura waited about fifteen more minutes, the silence dragging during that time, and the ashes once more flying onto her face. It did not matter, for she would wash them off now that she wanted to do so.  
  
Once the fifteen minutes were over, Sakura took the pot off the fire, and placed it on the floor. Taking a cloth, she dipped it into the boiling water, and waited for it to cool a bit. Slowly, she wiped her arms, and legs. Sakura would quickly clean her body and upper legs, for taking off her clothes meant that she would be exposed to cold weather, even if the fire was so close by. A while later, Sakura got up, and took a small mirror into her hands. She stared at it as she placed the cloth into the water, and picked it back up. Wiping half of her face, she found herself staring at a strange sight and reflection.  
  
She had never dreamed that her skin would be so pale underneath. Then again, as she was washing her hands and legs, she found herself taking off a layer of dirt as well then. Still, this surprised her a bit, to see such a change. Sakura had gotten so used to the soot that she soon believed that it was a part of her face. And now, now that she was cleansing herself, and to see such a sight, Sakura just gaped into the mirror for a while. She had no clue what she wished to believe. Instead, Sakura just quickly wiped the rest of her face, left the cloth in the pot afterwards, and placed the mirror back onto a table.  
  
Sakura then put on the clothes that Cerberus had given her. The most she had was probably three sets of clothes, all of which she has kept and used over the years._ I wonder what stepmother would think_, Sakura pondered staring at herself. _What would she do once her eyes lay on my face? My body?_ She already knew the answer. _Stepmother would not be glad. She would never be proud of me for my image, my work, or anything of mine._ With that thought, Sakura grimaced at the sadness.  
  
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Frowning, she started to doubt whether she should do it or not, even with Sonomi's consent. "Because the artist was there, that was the only reason stepmother would even let me be sketched by him. If he were not in there, she would have yelled at me to leave it all alone." She then turned to Cerberus, and scratched behind his ear. "Do you think that maybe I should not go, Cerberus? I do not wish to anger stepmother more that she already is with me. It would not do me good."  
  
In response, Cerberus lifted his head up and brushed it against Sakura's cheeks, licking her once in a while. "Aww, stop it, Cerberus," she protested lightly. "I washed myself, remember? I desire not to do it again." Glancing around, Sakura then got up, and walked over to a small cabinet by a corner. She reached up, and opened it, to pull out a small music box. Then, Sakura moved to sit back down next to Cerberus by the warm fire.  
  
"This is all I have left of my father, my real family," Sakura whispered, telling her animal friend, even though he has lived with her long before she was born in their household. Opening it, Sakura reached in, and pulled out a necklace. It consisted of a long, yet extremely thin, glittering chain of gold, connected to a sparkling star no bigger than inch or so. The star was silver-colored, shimmering when touched by light. "Father said that there used to be two of these, but he lost one long ago. It is a real shame that he did." Looking up, Sakura quickly slipped the necklace back into the box, and put it away.  
  
"I believe that it would be time to see if they are done yet. Just stay here, Cerberus, okay?" she smiled. Hearing it whimper, Sakura sighed. "I'll be back, and you know that. Hmm... But I best be careful. I shall bring tea for them to drink," she decided happily. "Stepmother would be _slightly _pleased to see me do that, yes she would."  
  
Walking out, Sakura smiled as she entered the dining room, where her stepsisters' portraits were being drawn. "Would you all like some tea- AH!!!" Sakura shrieked as she tripped on something, and felt the plate of cups and teapot slip from her grasp. Almost in slow motion, Sakura watched as she fell while the four of the cups dropped harmlessly onto the carpet floor, along with the teapot, though the tea itself was seeping into the floor covering. Unfortunately, the fifth cup did not land so luckily, and Sakura could only stare as it landed on Meiling's head, pouring the tea out before it clattered to the ground.  
  
Shrieking, Meiling jumped up from her seat, running around the room without silence. Clumsily getting up, Sakura took out a cloth. "Please, Meiling," she tried, running up to her stepsister. "Let me help-"  
  
Meiling stopped and angrily glared at her, slapping her hand away from her view. "Cinders! You purposely came to ruin my portrait! How _dare _you do such a thing! Mother, I want her punished! I want it done _now_!"  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura turned away from her stepsister, who had tea dripping from her hair down to her face, to look at her stepmother slowly, and found herself staring into eyes filled with contempt and loathe. "Cinders," Sonomi said in a dangerously soft and wavering voice. "You shall sit by the window, and you shall not move until Rika's own portrait is done. I will take Meiling to change, and you--YOU!--will not have a single line drawn at all! Do not say a word! Not a peep from you. Come, Meiling. Let us go right now." She then turned to Yue. "Please, I apologize deeply for the disturbance."  
  
"Actually," he said, looking at her with his emotionless face. "I should apologize. Your stepdaughter had only wish to bring us tea, and unfortunately, she tripped over my items, including an extra canvas that I had brought along. I should not have left them in such a place. Do not scold her. Moreover, I still wish for to draw a small bit on-"  
  
"I go against your request," Sonomi replied through clenched teeth sharply. She then took in a deep breath, and drew herself to an amazing height, staring at them through eyes angry enough with emotion to kill, if wanted to. "I will do as I wish with those who desire to live in this household, and I may ask of you to not interfere with the way people are treated here. I am a just and fair person. Those who make mistakes are punished, and that is that." Sonomi turned and left.  
  
The happiness in her eyes faded away even more as Sakura walked to the opposite wall in the dining room, dragging a chair with her. Sitting down, she watched as it started to snow again. Sakura stared at it as she sat up straighter, not wanting to let her stepmother know how much this has fazed her. She then closed her eyes for a while, grieving for herself once more.  
  
_But even though it is wonderful... I do not wish for you to catch a cold any easier than it already is..._ Sakura's eyes widened after she repeated that last sentence in her head. _I do not wish for you to catch a cold..._ That entire statement she drank up once more, smiling as she did. _Someone cared for me, for my health,_ she realized. _That boy, he gave me his cloak so that I would not become ill later on. And he watched over me after he accidentally knocked into me. That was the very first time when someone showed me compassion and concern in quite a while. Well, others have as well, but... that was very good._  
  
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A hour or so later, Sakura watched as Yue and Touya packed up their things, ready to leave. Yet still, she had sat there after Meiling returned with Sonomi, watching as they talked with Yue as if Sakura was not even there, and none of the previous things had happened. Unable to bear it, Sakura just stared outside and watched people pass by, the snow drifting down as slowly as it could. She watched as the streets were covered with another white sheet of snow. And she watched.  
  
"Let me see you out. Thank you so much..." Sakura could hear her stepmother say as they walked out of the dining room. Finally turning back around, Sakura's eyes met with soft, kind ones. Rika was looking at her with a small, sad smile on her face. Sakura jerked her head away, and was about to get up when she heard loud, thundering steps running towards her.  
  
"_Cinders!!!_" Sakura heard her stepmother shriek. Cringing, Sakura watched as Sonomi stormed up to her, thinking if her eyes were bright red with hate. "You big idiot! Did you enjoy watching as I was humiliated as such?! Give me a reason as to why I should continue to house you under my house?! Tonight, you shall not eat! You will not serve us! You will not take one step into the kitchen! Cinders, instead you shall go to the cellar, and stay there! I do not wish to see your face at all!"  
  
Sakura's eyes widened at her words. Getting up, she protested with a cry, "But stepmother-"  
  
"And do not call me stepmother!" Sonomi screamed, her eyes wide with furious passion. "You shall never call me stepmother again! From now on, whenever others come to our household, you are just a servant. You are not-"  
  
"Your stepdaughter," Sakura finished loudly. She stared at her stepmother, not cringing anymore.  
  
"You shall not look at me in such a way," Sonomi whispered fiercely. "If I could, I would throw you in the streets, never giving a second thought. You shall stay in the cellar for seven days, and think about what you have done. That should be more than enough time for you to contemplate your mistakes. The lack of food, after all, can sometimes be the right incentive."  
  
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Curling, Sakura closed her eyes, shivering. Sonomi had truly left her with no food. But also, other than that, her stepmother did not give her blankets, or any source of heat at all. The only thing close to heat was the small bit of light that came from a tiny window shaft. "I-I-If I truly could le-leave," she whispered, "then I mos-most definitely wo-would! I hardly even ne-need her to thro-throw me away!" This was the third day, and Sakura was beginning to see gray dots in the air.  
  
She quickly closed her eyes, and took in deep breaths. _How am I suppose to last for four more days?!_ Sakura wondered, torturing herself with the fact that there were four more days. Her head started to swirl, and Sakura moaned as she curled up into a ball even more. "Oh..." she whimpered.  
  
Suddenly, Sakura heard a scratching sound by the window shaft, and she slowly looked up. Seeing that it was Cerberus, Sakura quickly got up, and ended up with more gray dots, along with a dizzying headache. Staggering a bit, she gained control of herself a few seconds later. She found a small chair when she looked around and used it to get up to the window shaft. "Oh, Cerberus..." Sakura said softly, seeing her friend poking against the window. "I can't play with you now."  
  
Cerberus gave the window one last poke, and abruptly, Sakura found herself breathing in some dust. Coughing, she waved her hand around as she closed her eyes, trying to clear the air. But after the dust, she took in another breath, and a breeze of freezing cold came to her senses. Opening her eyes back, Sakura saw that the small window as open. Gasping, she fingered the terrain outside, feeling the ice. Cerberus was already jumping around, as if telling her that she should come out.  
  
Shaking her head, Sakura smiled sadly at the animal. "I mustn't," Sakura whispered. "If I do, there is not a place for me to go anyway. I might as well just wait for the rest of the seven days to be over. Now I will close the window, Cerberus. Leave me be and try to stay patient for a while, will you not?" But just as she was about to pull the window back down, Sakura felt something gnaw at her sleeve softly. Seeing Cerberus' face so close to hers, and practically feeling his sadness for her radiating strongly, Sakura slowly and finally nodded her head.  
  
"Back up slightly, Cerberus," Sakura told him. After he did, Sakura winced as she started to squeeze through. Stopping for a second, with the gray spots starting to come back, Sakura held her head, taking a breather. After that, she started again, and forced herself to squirm out of the window, the skin on her hands scraping against the snow raw. She could feel the headache increasing, pulsating within her mind. Gulping in a large, clear breath, Sakura closed her eyes, and laid there for a while. Feeling Cerberus poke her again, Sakura tiredly wave her hand. "Let me be for a while, Cerberus. Let me be."  
  
Trying to stay awake, Sakura ignored how the snow under her was numbing her body. Shivering, she felt Cerberus poke her again, trying to get her to stand up. Sakura groaned as she grabbed onto his body, and reveled in the heat he gave off. "I... I-I'm so... hungry..." she whispered, forcing herself to keep her eyes open. Getting to her knees, Cerberus jabbed her softly again, and she finally stood on her feet, her legs quivering slightly. Sakura managed to look about and take in that she was standing in the back of the house. But once she did get up, Cerberus ran off, past the plains through the forests.  
  
"Such speed for such an animal in this environment," Sakura mused for a second, feeling dizzy. Slowly, she followed behind him, taking each step carefully at a time. She soon felt the cold wind blow against her and realized that no matter how refreshing it was before, it no longer felt comfortable to her. Recoiling, Sakura grasped her hands together, and desired for pockets at a time like this.  
  
Sakura swayed as her clothes started to snatch on twigs and branches, trying her best to catch up to Cerberus. She had not a notion as to how long she stumbled through the woods, but it seemed as if it were hours. Her hands were frozen, a minuscule amount of blood seeping through wounds from scraping against the snow to escape from the cellar. Finally seeing a clearing, Sakura felt herself falter, clutching her head as she winced. Before the gray spots filled her entire vision, she remember catching a blurry glance of Cerberus running up to her. "Cer... Cerberus..." she whispered, falling to the ground, drained of the little energy she had left in her.  
  
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_ End of chapter 2. I won't make guarantees on how long it'll take the next chapter to come out. I had the 3rd one written and half of the fourth over a year ago. The plot didn't die yet, but my will to write definitely has. Especially after SAT II scores came in. ( 630!! Weak shit, man.) Maybe I'll just post up what I have up to now and attempt to continue it when I feel like it. Anyway, I promise I won't leave this here just by itself. T'would be idiotic of me. Please review. I would like to know who's read chapter 1 and is still keeping up with this ficcie. _


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